Bill_Simpkins

The 3rd ish pitch on Banana Peel (the one where you step up onto the slab and go right), if you have never done runout slab. That was my second trad climb, back in the day. My first trad climb was the 5.4 at Sugarloaf, the same day. Those runouts on Banana peel seemed endless, but VERY gratifying. On the second to last pitch, I ran out of rope (this is before I knew was simulclimbing was and simul the rest now) and had to do a gear belay just below the "rock belay". I was scared to death and never let go of the rock. The belay had every peice of gear left on me. That route is still one of my favorites because I enjoy the very things that scared me then. It's all relative I guess.

Google Map It's pretty cool. I started it over the Sisters Range. You can use the arrows and zoom on the left to navigate. Anyhere in the world I believe. Going over the Cascades is cool. The zoom is limited in some regions and communist counties. Pretty cool!

Maybe we should have a vote, this thread could be to decide who gets on the ballot. I nominate Alex Lowe. Just for thought though, what could have Ed Cooper pulled off with modern gear? If we are voting for only living climbers, and greatest now, I vote for Dean Potter.

Women should compete equally with men in this, there's no need to break it out like the special olympics.

If they are not that stiff, why not just use tennis shoes?

I think work is getting to me again.

How is liberation trying to prove what a man can do? Isn't liberation just being free? If you are trying to proving something to someone, you are a prisoner to to them. Maybe flaunting women on these magazine covers is the man saying we are still in control, or trying to retain it. sex sells too, in any format. Take a feminist mag, put hot chicks on it, and it will sell 2x as much. I think many men and women climb to prove something. But, after falling a few times and dealing with exposure, those ones usually go back to the gym or stop altogether, unless they are trying to prove something to themselves. An we are all prisoners to ourselves. WORD.

Hard shells are a total pain. You are always unzipping this, unzipping that, putting this in the pack, taking that out of the pack. Plus, they are deadly when the sun comes out. They are too hot when it's warm. I would say they more people suffer more from heat related stresses on the body then wetness/coldness related. Ever be at Camp Muir when people are returning fromt he summit? They are half draped and sweaty in gortex. They have headaches from sweating like crazy,hot as hell and dehydrated. Miserable. When I go out in softshells, the only thing for my legs, are ON my legs the whole time. Saves a pound in the pack and room to boot. I can wear them to work, go rock climbing that night, lounge arund the house, then climb a mountain or go snowboarding any time of year. If it rains, I usually am ok, else I put on a peice of plastic or just go in my T-shirt. Bogen, the gortex I've used handled scree just fine. I never questioned the durability of it. However I didn't wear hard shells rock climbing much because its too warm and bulky and doesn't stretch. So it never had the same "testing" as my softshells.

Dude, "Midnight Oils greatest hits" must be a long playing single about giving it back eh? Some of it. Lots of good songs. They are almost one hit wonders in the US, but have a good long-standing rep pretty much every where else. Many good albums. Overly-ignored here

Believe it or not, Midnight Oils greatest hits is a good one to have around. Also, Weezer, Green Album, has treated me well the past few years. Other recent favorites (i.e. in my CD player now) Green Day, "American Idiot" Police, "greatest hits" Queensryche, "Rage for Order'

Yates Big Wall.

That's what I do also. Also good for clipping your lack to stuff so it doesn't slide away while breaking.

I don't think you could get any gear in on the last pitch. It may be a different story when your on it though. The bolt line is there and the falls look clean. It's an easy hike in, check it out! BTW I'm taking someone else from this site up there for a hike who just wants to check the place out. Maybe you could join.

I've scoped out the 3-pitcher several times. Getting gear in would be a nice challenge on the upper pitches. The falls look pretty clean and the bolts look solid. You can scope it out pretty well from a nice ledge just below and right of the top where the short crimpfest routes are.

You got it. I like stuff that serves as double duty. You can use your tied runner as a chest harness, or the rope if you are on an end. OR! You could just go with a light pack. You can easily get a 5 day glacier pack to under 30 pounds. Never hurts though to have one on though, I would just use webbing and leave the extra weight and bulk of the chest harness at home. You can then use up the webbing for rap slings or use it in your anchors if you are fishing someone out of a slot.

Worked and played video games.

I agree. The hardshells get soaked anyways. If the weather is marginal or you are on an extended trip, bring a ultralite rain jacket, like a plastic poncho or small totally waterproof rain pullover or something.

So you're really in Mazama climbing trad and you don't want to admit that you're not clipping bolts, so you're faking that your in Mongolia! Bad Luke! Hope you're having fun.

I am a big supporter of the Mammut Alpine Lite Harness. It's simple, pretty lite, and cheap. Things to look for in an alpine harness: 1. Lite! 2. Water Resistant 3. Simple 4. Can take on and off with crampons. 5. Doesn't clash with the Schoeller leisure suit.

I go 8.3 mm 30 m because I like being able to pretty much use anything I got on me prussiks if I have to. Cord, webbing etc ... Plus it's not too bad rapping with it with a pack on. Munter hitch on a doubled rope suffices. Plus it's nice to have a rope you are comfortable belaying with. 30m has been long enough most of the time, but I've had to downclimb on a few rappels. I'm all about dynamic ropes too.

I think the conversation is about truly frameless pack such as the Wild Things Icesac and the CCW Chernobyl. They have no internal stays, just a bivy pad. The Granite Gear Alpine Lite has no frame.

About 400 mpg for a car weighing 2000 lbs an average of 60 mph with 100% energy efficiciency (i.e. no heat loss, engine resistance etc...). Just road resistance. With engine resistance and heat loss, we are looking at about 80 mpg for a 2000 lb car, upper limit of coarse. Need to factor in hills, acceleration, people mass etc...

That site is funny! The BASE CAMP tent is a giant Teepee! Funny stuff! Good joke I think.

I free soloed the South Face of American Border Peak this morning ... naked. I went super lite. I ate mice and drank goat blood. I left the rappel ropes, but you may not want to use them, considering I didn't use a harness.

Wrap a 1/2 length sleeping pad around the inside and put everything within the pad. This gives it more of a frame and keeps the pad inside and helps protect the contents. You can combine this with the back panel bivy pad for sleeping. I use a short length ridge rest or blue pad and it overlaps a bit on the inside. I put the overlapping part where my back is.